Can-opener.



G. J. FITZPATRICK.

CAN OPENER,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I7. 1914.

Patented Oct, 30, I917 t @1 81] mm GEOBGEJ. rrrz'rarnmx, or oiircaeo, ILLINOIS.

. can-cranes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that'I, GEORGE J. Flrzrarmon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements 111 Can Openers of which the followlng 1s a specification.

The present invention relates .to a can. opener used for the purpose ofcutting the surface of'tin or other cans or receptacles, for the purpose of opening the same.

The objects ofthe present invention are to construct a can opener of the character described'which is cheap and simple of construction, easy of manipulation and operation and durable as respects wear. I

A further object of the invention isto v so arrange the parts of the device'as to permit the easy severance of the surface of a square can or receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the parts ofthe opener so that they may be assembled or disassembled as desired without trouble and without disorganization. v

The invention further consists in the features of construction, and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

and associated parts; and

In the drawings: a v

Figure ljis a plan view-showing the can opener of the present invention in operative position upon a can;

seen from the rear of the device;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the cutting member Fig. 4 is a perspective of the parts shown inFig.3.

Theart to which the presentv invention relates deals with devices of the character which maybe termed kitchen implements. It is essential to devices of such a nature that they be'cheap and simpleof construc: tion, for owing to the fact that they are generally used y the housewife, complex or easily disorganized mechanism. would render them impractical, and owing to the fact that they are part of the equipment of a household, and in a sensea household/necessity, 0

the cheapness in. rice is important, it being of material bone t to the public at large to secure implements of this kind at a small cost. Therefore the more the manufacturing cost of these articles'is lowered'the lower will be the selling price, and the general public willthereby benefit. It is, therefore,

. ing' and tur'ning movement therein.

, Specification of Letters Patent; 7 Patented ()(513, 30, 19 17, v Application filed December 1'5, 1914. Serial No. 87 7,797.

extremelyimportant marks of this kind'to render the device cheap and simple both as to cost and use. Difiiculty has also been experienced in this art in producing a practical opener which will be operative with I Thepresent'inve'n- 1 tion, it isbelieved, fulfils the requirements and demands of the art as above outlined.

respect .to square cans.

Referring now to thedrawings, the device may be said to consist generally of two parts,

' first the actuating portion designated by the numeral 5 in the drawing, and the operative portion which is designated by the numeral 6 in the drawing. The actuating portion consists of a single piece of material in the form of aplate or bar 7. It is, of course, understood, that the opener as-an entirety, and as'to'individual parts, may be of any suitablesize and may be made of any suitable material, vThe actuating member em- -bodies a handle 8 at one end and at the op posite end is 'formed with a tine or prong 9 adapted iobe inserted through thesurface.

of the receptacle being operated upon. The body'of the member 5 isformed with a lon-' gltudinal' slot 10 terminating in anenlarged opening '11, the point of juncturetof said slot with said opening, being contracted as a 1 at12. If desired, at the extreme end of the handle an opening 13 may be formedto create a cap removing implement for bottles.

. The part 5 is termedthe actuating portion Fig. 2 is a section on line ,1 1 of Fig.- 1

operator and moved byhis influence.

The part 6 has been designated as the operative portion since it is this part which since this is the part that isgrasped by the tion. This part ,6 consists of a disk 14 1 'ng on the under side of the portion 5, and

. is influenced by the movement of the actu-" ating portion to perform the cutting operapending from the disk is a cutting member 15 and a guiding member 16. A headed rivet 171s secured to the disk, the shank portion 18 resting in the slot 10 with the head overlying the slot, and as shown the disk has oppositely disposed upwardly extending cars 19 thereon. The shank 18 when the device is assembled travels in the slot 10 of the actuating member 5 and has aslidscmbled when desired bysimply'pulling the shank 18 through the contracted portion 12 of the slot so that the head 17 can pass through the-opening 11, .thus enablingthe operating portion to 'be removed fo-r the purpose of sharpening the cutting member, etc. It is, of course, understoodthat the actuating part5 possesses suflicientspring qualities to enable thepassing of the shank 18 through the contracted portion 12 of the slot 10,: as described. jIn can openingoperations it is extremely desirable that some guiding means be pro vided which. rest against the outside. of the can and maintain the cutting member an equidistance from the center of the can during the cutting operation.

each time 'at the center of the can, andif the cutting member with respect tothe actua-ting member the cutting member will follow an elliptical path, owing-to the prong 9 not being in the center of the can, with the result that the cutting member frequently strikes the side of the can and prevents completion of the cutting operation.

In the present invention. guide is provided in the form of a depending tongue 16, heretofore referred to, and'by referring to Figs.

to the side of the cutting member as well as to the rear thereof, and is angularly disposed With respect to the cutting member so that it is spacedapart from said member a greater distance at the lower end of the memher than the upper end. In use,'.if a circular can is being cut the prong 9 is inserted, the operating member moved in the slot 10 until the lower. end of 40- the guide 16 engages the side of the can,

it being 'ohservedthat the guide is somewhat longer than the cutting member and extends below the same. When the guide has been brought into engagement with the side of the foam by ressing downward the cutting member is the can to be cut, and then the operator by applying pressure to the actuating men1 ber turns thedevice about the prong 9 as a center. If the prong 9 is in a position other than the axial center of the can it willmake no difference since the guiding member 16 traveling against. the side of the can will pull the operating member 6-in the slot 10- vherebythe cutting member will remain an ,flequidistance from the edge of'the can dur- J ing the. entire operation and efiiciently cut the same. 1

bend the edges of the cut metal downward during'thgputtingoperation so thata smooth meal sur ce is presented after the can is out leav'ng no sharp edges which are dan gerous in further Handling of the can; When Since in prac' tice it is impossible to insert the'prong 9'- some means are not provided for moving 3 and 4 it will be seen that this tongue lies I so configure the cutting member as to a square can is being opened the device is usedin themannershown in-Fig. 1. The prong 9 is first inserted at one side of the can and a cut made froma point opposite the point of insertion of the prong around the can or approximately halfway. The

prong is then inserted on'the opposite side of the can and a similar operation takes place;

, It would be a matter ofimpossibility to open these square cans with an opener of the type-shown in the present invention,

guide member must be correctly arranged with respect to the cutting member or it will bind on turning a corner and prevent proper operation of thecutter, Then positioned,

as shown in the drawings of the present application, any binding ,action isentirely eliminated' ,The reason for diagonally disposing the guide member 16 with respect to the cutter is that when the cutter 'is' forced to the opposite side, thatis half way around without the use of a guide member and the into place the entire length of the guide 'member will not engage the can, but only the upperi portion, as engagement along the entire length of the guidewould be undesirable by reason of the fact that a binding might result in operation. ;the ears 19 is as follows:

It is desired in positioning the operating member tohave the cutterl5 extend at' ap-f "proximately right angles to the sl0t10, and by grasping these ears 19 .the operator can quickly and, easily-turn the 14 into position to so center the cutting member.

The function of These ears moreover operate in the nature of stop members to prevent a turning ofthe i cutting member clear around-to one side of the slot 10, in which positionit would not. operate. By providing such stop means the reason of such a position being assumed by the cutting member and by the failureof 9 the deviee-towor-k owing to such assumed position. orced through the surface of The ears serve a further useful function,

vin that they enable the operating portion to be readily and quickly moved up or down in the slot 10, to placethe cutting member at any desired point on-thesurface of the can.

I claim: I

L-In a device of the class described, the combination of an actuating portion of spring material formed with a longitudinal slot, "an operating portion having a part arranged to slide and turn in said slot, a cutting-member dependingfrom the operating portion, a gnide'member to the rear of the cutting member and carried by the operating portion and said slot being restricthousewife can never become confused by.

' ed at one point 'and enlarged directly be; yond said restricted portion to'prevent -acci-' dental. separation of the actuating and-op crating portions and permit intentional sepa ration thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an actuating portion and an .operati-ng portion, said actuating portion having a longitudinal slot therein, said operatlng portlon having a part arranged to slide and turn \v'hin said slot, a cutting member depending from the operating portron, a guide member depending from the operating portion and stop members carried by said operating portion and arranged to engage the actuating portion to limit the turning movement voi the operating portion with, respect to the actuating portion, substantially asdescribed.

3'. In a device of the class described, the combination of an actuating portion and an opei ing portion, said'actuating. portion having a longitudinal slot, said operating portion beingarran-ged to slide-and turn in said slot, a cutting member depending from 'the operating portion, a guide member to the rear of the operating portion, and stop members in the form of oppositely disposed upwardly extending ears'carried by the op: erating portion for' limiting the turning movement of the operatingportion with re- SPOCl] to theactuating'portion, substantially as described.

i. To a device ofthe class described, the

combination of an actuating portion formed with a longitudinalslot, tin operating portion consisting of a disk ar anged to lie below the actuating portions, a headed stem extending from the disk with the shank tliereoii traveling within the slot, a cutting member depending fromthe disk and lying medially tl-iereot'paguide member in i'the form ofan eardepending from the disk and lying medially thereof and said guide mem' her being located .to the rear and side of the cutting member, and members carried by said disk acting as stop members to limit the turning lllOr'OlllGlli] of the operatingfiiiember with respect to the actuating member, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination ofan zu'ttuatingfportion and any UPC-l3, ug portion, said actuating portion consisting ot a plate termed wlth a longitudinal slot, an operating member arranged I to slide anu turn in said slot, a depending cutting member and a depending guide member from said operating member and formed integral with said operating member, a stud extruding from'a'ppro'ximately the center of aid operating member and into the slot of said actuating member, said cutting member being located to the front and in su stantial alincn cnt with said stud,

and an upwardly extending ear integral with saul operating member and adapted to engage the side of the actuatingi'nember to serve as a stop tor-limiting the turning morelneut o ithe operating member, substantially as described. Y

(I A device of the class described, consisting of an actuating portion, an operating pol'l'imr formed of a sheet metal body baring portions thereof struck out to provide a cutter. a guide, astop for determining the extent'ot rotation of the operating portion with respeet'to the actuatmg portion, and means for rotatably and slidingly sevu1'ing"t'l 1e operating portion upon the actuating portion, substantially as described.

7'..In' a device of the class described, the combination of an m-tuatirrg' pkirtion and an operating portion. said oper: ting portion haringa longitudinal lot formed therein,

an operating member in the Form of a Hat metallic plate ha\'iu; two downwardly projeeting lneniblu's 1 Hn'k out therefrom Iwith a web portion warm the struck-out me'iubers, one of said downwardly projecting nunnbers constituting a cutter and the other 'of said nie-ndiers constituting a flat-faced guide iinger,a'headed stud extending from the web portion ot b'illtl, plate and through the slot in the actuatln" )ortion and havina sliding and turning fit in 'saidc slot said cutter lying to therear ol the stud with its cutting edge to'one side of; the stud, which side is'toward the direction of cutting movement of the opener, said guide finger lying in front of the stud and to one side of said stud and said cutter, hichside is also in" the direction of cutting movement of the opener, and said flat faced formation of said guide finger giving a line contact betwe'en saidfinger andthe eurved-periphery of a can; and said guide moying in advance of the cutter during the cutting operation, substantially asdescribed. GEO. FITZPATRIQK'. l Vitnesse's'z. x

"VM. P. Bonn, q Tnonas A. BANNInG, Jr. 

